Road Trip
by Japanime Goddess
Summary: Razina, I'm so happy we're going on a road trip! Shiori, Nolo wants to come with us. Your exboyfriend? Well, we're going to give it another chance. That's great! Well, he wants to bring a friend. Who? Some guy named Shirako.
1. Preparations

Disclaimer: If I owned Acceleracers, I wouldn't have kept that perfect information to myself, now would I? Road Trip 

** By Japanime Goddess**

"Razina, I'm so happy we're going on a road trip!" "Shiori, Nolo wants to come with us." "Your ex-boyfriend?" "Well, we're going to give it another chance." "That's great!" "Well, he wants to bring a friend." "Who?" "Some guy named Shirako."

**Chapter 1: Preparations**

"I can't believe my mom agreed!" Shiori couldn't sit still. She bounced up and down in the leather booth of the breakfast joint, Asian-straight black, waist length hair flying, and amber, Japanese eyes twinkling.

Razina smiled weakly. "Yeah, it's great."

Shiori stopped her bouncing. "Okay, Razina, what's wrong! We've just finished one more year of school, and we're going on a road trip! Life is perfect!"

" There's one small problem." Razina said meekly, flicking a piece of her flaming red hair back in place, her glass blue eyes moved nervously.

Shiori's eyes widened. "Problem? Oh no, we cannot have a problem. I mean, we're leaving in three days! Right?"

Razina sighed. "Shiori, I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise that you won't interrupt until I'm done."

" Of course." Instantly concerned, Shiori studied her best friend carefully. "Is your family alright? Did something happen to your brother?"

" No, he's fine. They're all fine. Okay," Razina took a deep breath. "We can't use my car."

Shiori's mouth dropped open. "But-"

Razina glared, and Shiori's mouth promptly snapped shut again.

" Thank you." Razina continued. "I know we can't use your mom's or your grandpa's, so I was thinking... Nolo offered to let us use his new one with four seats."

" That's great! I-"

"I'm not done!"

" Sorry."

"Okay, there is one condition though. He wants to come."

"Well, that's okay." Shiori said, slightly doubtful. "I mean, he is your boyfriend and all.."

"Ex-boyfriend." Razina corrected. "And will you please let me finish!"

"Sorry, sorry! Go ahead."

"Okay. I wasn't done. The condition was... that we let him and his friend come."

Silence.

"I'm done now. You can talk."

"Oh! Okay. First of all, why would Nolo want to come with us? Isn't it weird with you two... After breaking up and all? And is this friend of his a girl? Because that would be really awkward. And doesn't Nolo have anything better to do? I mean, he's this Teku leader… can't he go racing with those… **sigh** unbelievably hot guys?"

Razina bit her lip. "Okay, there's maybe one thing I left out."

"What?"

"Um... Nolo and I might get back together."

Shiori gaped. "You're kidding."

Razina winced. "You think it's a bad idea, huh?"

"Razina, this is great!" Shiori exclaimed. "I don't even know why you two broke up in the first place! I mean, my two best friends, in love... that's the best thing in the world!"

"Who says we're in love?"

"So I'm guessing that this friend he's bringing is a guy?"

"Yeah... I never met him before. Apparently he was someone who Nolo's known before the Teku... he talked to this dude after…I didn't know he took it so hard."

"Of course he did! The boy adored you, Razina. It was so obvious."

Razina blushed. "Well, anyway, we're thinking about getting back together, and I guess Nolo thinks that a road trip is a good way to get away from his parents and our friends... Well, except for you, of course."

"Well," Shiori offered. "You know, I can always find something else to do if you and Nolo want some time alone."

Razina glared. "Don't even think about not coming!" she said. "I mean, Nolo's great and all, but his hands are really...wandering. You are definitely coming." Razina began warming up for an argument.

"Okay!" Shiori agreed. "Which reminds me, I have to finish packing soon."

"Okay?" Razina looked at Shiori. "Just like that?"

"Well, yeah!" Shiori rolled her eyes. "I mean, I've been looking forward to this trip ever since winter! Good thing you're letting me go, or else I would have spent the whole summer moping and dating losers."

"Oh. Well, you're welcome."

12:00 PM

Ring! Ring! Shiori groaned and rolled over. Why wasn't anyone picking up the phone? Ring!

"Okay, okay." A hand reached out of the covers and groped for the phone.

"Hello?"

"Shiori? It's Razina"

"Razina Why are you calling? It's so early!"

A slight pause. Then, "Shiori, it's twelve noon."

Kagome shot up in bed, and looked at her alarm clock. She sighed. "So it is. Well, what's so important that you called me at twelve noon on a Sunday?"

"Um… Nolo wants us to meet his friend. You know, so we're all acquainted when we go on the trip."

"Now?"

"For a late lunch. Like, around one, maybe?"

"Yeah fine. That means I get a half hour more of sleep."

"You're impossible, Shiori."

"Good night."

12:26 PM

"Shirako! Shirako!" Nolo banged on the front door of the apartment. "C'mon, man, we're going to be late!"

An elderly lady peered out from the door across of Shirako's.

"What's all the fuss?" she wanted to know. "You woke my poor Bubbles."

"Bubbles?"

The lady held up a tabby cat, which hissed at Nolo. "See? Bubbles hates being woken."

"Uh...sorry." Deciding this was one argument he couldn't win- and didn't want to try, Nolo beamed an apologizing smile at her. This seemed to placate the woman. "The boy's probably still sleeping." she said, peering over the top of her reading glasses. "Awful life, that boy. Never says a word to the neighbours, gets in at all hours, and hates my poor Bubbles! And still! The boy can't keep that horrible music down!" Nolo smiled weakly. There really didn't seem like a appropriate response. "No good hanging out with the likes of him." the women advised, and then slammed the door as an exclamation to her declaration. Nolo rolled his eyes, and then glanced around to make sure no one was looking. Taking out what Razina had aptly named "his burglar tools", Nolo got to work.

12:31 PM

Shiori dragged herself out of bed and into the shower.

12:32 PM

Nolo slipped into Shirako's darkened apartment. "Shirako!" he called loudly. Or perhaps softly, for Nolo could hear that Techno music up way too loud… who knew if he heard. Besides… after, his sister's death, he wasn't the nicest guy to have around.

"Get up!" Nolo demanded. Shirako growled. Nolo pulled the blanket off. "Get up, Shirako! We'll be late! You know how girls hate guys who are late."

"What the hell do I care?"

"Come on!" Nolo pleaded. "Get over it, I know it sounds mean but come on!"

Shirako rolled off the bed and growled. "You're more trouble than you're worth, Nolo."

"Just get dressed."

1:00 PM

Shiori ran up, out of breath, and pushed through the glass doors into the restaurant. She spotted Razina sitting at a nearby booth, and dropped in the seat across from her. "Hey, Razina! The guys aren't here yet?"

Razina shook her head. "Nolo just called me. He said they'll be right here."

"See? Improvement!" Shiori waved a menu in the air, gesturing. "He never used to be so thoughtful, right?"

Razina blushed. "Come on, Shiori. We're just giving it another try. No guarantees."

Shiori sighed. "Yeah, I know. It's just that I've known you two since forever, and I want you to be happy!"

"You're not the only one." Razina murmured. Even though she was speaking to Shiori, her attention was on the far entrance of the airy restaurant. "Huh?" Shiori twisted around to see what Razina was staring at. "Hey, they're here!"

"Shiori, I don't think I can do this."

"What do you mean?" Shiori turned back to her friend, eyes wide. "This is Nolo, Razina! Nothing to be nervous about."

"I know... but still."

"Well, no time to be nervous, anyway. Here they are! Nolo!" Shiori stood up as he enveloped her into a warm hug.

"Hey, congrats on the finals."

"Thanks." Shiori beamed. "You're the reason I passed the math test! How did you get to be so good with numbers?"

Nolo shrugged, his eyes already on Razina. "Well?" Shiori hissed. "Go say hi to her!"

Casting one last uncertain glance, back, Nolo slid into the booth next to Razina. Shiori turned her attention to the stranger that had come with Nolo. "Hi." she greeted. "I guess you're the friend Nolo was talking about, huh?"

An eyebrow lifted above the dark sunglasses. "What'd he say?"

Shiori searched through her memory, and then realized that Nolo hadn't said anything much about the stranger. Heck... she didn't even know his name!

"Um." she said lamely. "I forgot."

"I thought so."

Shiori studied the boy idly during the silence. It was obvious the person was a boy, even though his face had a slightly feminine look to it, the spiked up blue-black hair gave him away. He was lanky, Shiori decided. Not too tall, not too short, not too muscle-y, and not too weak. 'If I didn't make snap judgements, I'd think he was perfect.' Shiori thought to herself. 'Well, his body, anyway.' She sighed, 'I love sexy Asians… at least I think he is…'

The boy had a almost pretty face; and even though his eyes were hidden behind the tinted lens, Shiori thought he had good bone structure. 'Great,' she thought. 'Good bone structure? God, I'm shallow... I'm half in love with him just by looking!' Then she shrugged it off. Hey, it was summer... she was allowed to check out cute guys, wasn't she? Especially cute guys who dressed in black shirts and white vests with ear phones turned on WAY too loud… and looked good doing it.

"Come sit down, you guys!" Nolo called. Grateful for the break in silence, Shiori slid across the shiny vinyl across from Razina. "Looks like you two broke the ice." she teased. "Enough for him to put his hand on my knee." Razina glanced at Nolo, who just grinned. "Just like old times." he said. "So you guys want to order?"

After the waitress was gone and the menus collected, Nolo suddenly remembered the stranger among them. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "Stupid me. You guys this is Shirako Takamoto. Shirako, meet Razina Lombard and Shiori Kashino."

"Nice to meet you." Razina said politely. Shiori nodded. Shirako shrugged. Nolo frowned at him. "He's going through some stuff… that's why I thought he'd like the break." Nolo explained. "But he's got his reasons."

"Nolo, you can stop telling them my life story like I'm not even here."

"Excuse me, sir." A young lady wearing the restaurant staffs' white and red colours approached them. "Excuse me, sir?"

Shirako glanced up impatiently. "What?"

"Um..." the curt tone of Shirako's voice had her nervous, and almost stuttering. "The manager requests for you to remove your sunglasses... because some of our customers are disturbed by a man wearing sunglasses indoors." She swallowed, as if waiting for Shirako to snap her neck. To the surprise of everybody, except perhaps Nolo, Shirako simply shrugged. "Fine." He pulled off the sunglasses, revealing startling amber eyes that were most certainly Asian. What had Shiori raising her eyebrows, though, was the swelling of a bruise on his left eye. "What happened?" she asked, and before she could stop herself, her hand reached out to trace the edge of his eyes. Shirako stilled, as if startled by the contact of her skin on his. Then he jerked away so suddenly that Shiori almost toppled over onto him. "Nothing." he replied, voice suddenly rough.

"It's a pretty bad nothing if it got you that." Shiori said, undisturbed by his tone. "How'd you get it?"

Silence.

"Tell me?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"I think we're going to get along." Nolo said to Razina Just as they were about to order dessert, the young waitress approached them again. "Excuse me, sir?"

"What?" Shirako asked, exasperated. "I took off the damn glasses!"

"Um... the manager requests that you put them back on... because some of our customers are disturbed by a young man with a black eye...apparently they're afraid you'll get into another fight again."

Shirako stood up, a gleam in his eyes. "Oh, that's it. Where's your manager? I'll request him a-"

"Sit!" Shiori said sharply, pulling Shirako by the back of his black shirt.

"Sorry." she said to the waitress. "But seriously, you should tell the manager to take some therapy classes. Or medicine. I think he's a little too uptight. I don't even see anyone looking at us."

The waitress worked up a smile and rolled her eyes. "If I do that he'll fire me on the spot."

"I know." Shiori said cheerfully. "Felt good to say it though

End Ch.1 

What do you think? Review!


	2. Questions

Road Trip: Chapter Two: Questions 

Disclaimer: Japanime Goddess doesn't own Acceleracers and neither does KawaiiYamato who is writing this.

Note: Hey, it's KawaiiYamato, Japanime Goddess's sister, really, biologically, okay, there's something that needs to be known, Goddess was in a car crash day before yesterday and is now in a coma… let's hope she wakes soon.

Razina and Shiori strolled through the park on their way home. Soon, though, Razina burst out with questions. "Well? What do you think?"

Shiori grinned cheerfully. "You lasted three minutes longer than I thought you would!" she reported, glancing down at her slim blue watch.

Razina waved that aside. "What did you think of his friend?"

Shiori shrugged. "I don't know... unstable?" 'SEXY?'

Razina frowned slightly. "Nolo told me that Shirako didn't really want to go... but Nolo said that he was worried about him staying here alone."

Shiori politely refrained from snorting. "What do you mean?" she demanded. "Shirako looks more than capable of taking care of himself."

"It's not that!" Razina glanced around and lowered her voice. " You have to know this… there's two reasons... his little sister Shizuka… he was real close to her and she just died in a car crash… they were in the same car but… only he survived. A few weeks ago, he tried to kill himself; he thinks he should've been more careful. Also, there're these people after him."

Shiori raised her eyebrows. "You're kidding, right?"

Razina ignored her. "It's not some big corporation or anything." she explained, still keeping an eye out for nosy eavesdroppers. "It's like a group of people our age that Shirako used to hang out with, see, they used to be in the same team… bunch of Asians, but then he chose the Teku over them… he knew Tone too…"

"Oh… Hang out with?"

"Okay," Razina admitted. "He was their leader. But," she held up a hand before Shiori could protest. "He left a few years ago, you know before they went racing against those Maniacs people? Remember? They went to the desert, and yeah, he left…which is pretty much why they're after them."

Shiori thought this over. "Okay." she said. "Let me get this straight… we're going on a road trip with a guy who has a gang after him… and if he joins us, the gang will be after us."

"That's the thing!" Razina said, eager to explain. "If we leave, Nolo thinks that'll discourage them from going after Shirako."

"Shirako doesn't seem like the type of person to take the easy way out."

"And how would you know?" Razina teased. "You just met him."

Shiori pretended not to hear her friend. Razina smirked. "Shiori! You have a crush on him! It's always the Asian guy!"

Shiori reddened. "Do not! It's just... he really doesn't."

Razina mulled this over. "I know." she murmured. "I wonder how this happened."

Nolo leaned back in the seat of Shirako's Bassline. "Remind me why I didn't bring High Voltage?" he groaned as Shirako turned up the Volume.

"Because," Shirako said. "Blame it on Tork."

Nolo sighed. "I don't do that anymore… "

"Glad to see that… Lo" He called his childhood and current friend by his rather feminine childhood nickname"

Nolo rolled his eyes. "Red light." he said mildly.

"Nah, it's still yellow."

"It's red!"

"Shut up, Nolo. It's yellow. And I'm a Teku"

Nolo looked back at the cars honking and drivers gesturing rudely. "That names no good for you when civilians are who are around you, and tell that to the people back there."

Shirako ignored him. Nolo sighed. "You're glad I forgave… now forgive yourself"

"Huh?"

"I forgave Tork now forgive yourself, it was an accident"

"I don't want to talk about it." Shirako shrugged, dipped his hand absently into his shirt pocket.

"You quit three months ago." Nolo reminded him.

"Damn it." Shirako screeched to a halt at a stop sign. "This wasn't here before."

"Yes it was." Nolo disagreed. "You just always drove past it… why do I even keep you?"

He glanced out at the scenery flying by. "So, what do you think of the girls?"

"I met them before, Moron."

"Really?"

"You're dumb, we used to hang when we were little, at least, with Shiori, her mom knew mine, I don't think she remembers. And since you asked, Razina fits you well"

"What do you mean?"

A rare smile (Or at least, they were rare now) crossed Shirako's face. "Exactly how it sounds, Lo. You two just click together."

"And you're spouting poetry." Nolo said dryly. "But what do you think about Shiori?"

Shirako's mind flickered back, to the smoky black hair and soft touch. "I need a beer," he muttered.

"You're underage."

"So? That didn't stop you when you were drinking yourself blind over Razina."

"I'm older than you." Nolo shot back sullenly.

"By a month." Shirako swerved into a parking space. Nolo opened the door and groaned. "I hate driving with you."

Shirako shrugged. "Get your damn car fixed then,"

"Shirako"

"What?" He snapped as they walked into the apartment complex and into Shirako's accommodation.

"It wasn't your fault"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Shirako, it was in the middle of a race, it was raining and you couldn't see Taro in front of you, he never meant to get her hurt"

"I'm not making the same mistake you did, blaming all and nothing on the Metal Maniacs, forgive me but lets see, I believe **_I _**was the one driving?" Shirako snapped. "And I'm sick of you doing this to me, I'm fine. I don't need your help"

"Sure, that's why, I found you jumping in front of the Maniac's car? What were you thinking you idiot? So, you lost your sister, guess what? I lost my brother, and I made a stupid mistake on where the blame went, and I got a bunch of crazy ideas in my head, I know what it's like, so I don't want you doing the mistakes I did"

"Well, just cause your elder brother is dead doesn't mean you have to tell me-" Shirako froze, knowing that he went too far, just by the look of grief on Nolo's face as his hand quickly clutched the T shaped necklace.

Before Nolo could reply, his cell phone rang. Nolo flipped open the phone. "Hello?"

A second later the expression on his face warmed. "Oh, hey."

"Mm hm. Okay. Of course. No, he wouldn't mind. Why would he? Okay. See you later, babe."

Shirako stretched out on the couch. "Who was that?"

Nolo grinned. "Razina. She and Shiori are coming over." Shirako sat up abruptly. "When did this happen?"

"Just now." Nolo shrugged and looked around the messy apartment in distaste. "We have to clean this up."

"We?" Shirako shook his head. "I didn't agree to let them into here!" 

"That's because you never agree to anything." Nolo explained patiently. "So I just went ahead and told them to come."

Shirako sneered. "Acting like this is your place."

"It's half mine." Nolo said mildly. "Remember? I paid half."

Shirako sulked. "You won't let me buy it back!"

"Well, I need to make sure that you're where I can find you"

"Why can't you stay in that stupid Teku Mansion and let me live?" Shirako glared. "You have to take half of my place."

"It was ours." Nolo pointed out. "Until you got the Demolition Boys learned you moved to Canada and had to stay here."

"It's a wonder that the government hasn't put you in a home yet"

"At least I'm away from those bitchy counsellors"

"That's only because the government thinks you're under the custody of your uncle. Where is he, by the way? Haven't seen him in a while."

Shirako shrugged. "A resort, I think. The last amount of money I gave him was enough to keep him away for a couple more months."

Nolo rolled his eyes. "You're lucky your uncle is greedy and stupid. If he was any smarter, he'd start blackmailing you."

"He doesn't want to live with me anymore than I want to live with him." Shirako scoffed.

"Besides, he has nothing to blackmail me with. He thinks that money comes from my after-school job." Shirako snickered. Nolo sighed. " Well, he has no reason to believe that his only brother's son makes his money stealing from rich people and giving shares to the charity… what would your mother say… let's see, you have such a screwed up life."

"Exactly." Shirako said. "And I don't need to screw it up more by going a fucking road trip."

"Oh yeah." Nolo said, tossing a couch pillow back on the couch. "Don't cuss around the girls."

Shirako groaned just as the doorbell rang. Nolo bit his lip. "Clean up." he commanded, hurrying toward the front hall. Shirako rolled his eyes.

"But I was going to take a nap at home." Shiori mourned. Razina pressed the doorbell again. "I hoped I remember right."

Shiori sighed. "Why are we here again?"

"Because you're worried about the whole Demolition Boys gang thing." Razina replied.

Before Shiori could protest further, Nolo opened the door. "Hey there, ladies."

"Hi." Shiori replied. "Are you going to let us in?"

"Yeah." Nolo opened the door a little more, smiling nervously. "Excuse the mess."

Shiori bounced past Nolo, looking around with interest.

"This way." Nolo guided them past three closed doors and the kitchen. "Shirako's in the living room."

"Shirako's here too?" Shiori asked, wrinkling her nose a little. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about seeing him again. 'Well, get sure.' she scolded herself. 'If we're all going on a road trip, you'd have to spend a whole lot more time with him. And, I mean, what if he has a girlfriend? Though what kind of guy would leave his girlfriend alone for a whole summer I don't know...'

They entered the living room, where Shirako hadn't moved from his spot on the couch. "Hi Shirako!" Shiori said cheerfully. Shirako raised his soda can in reply, head bobbing to the loud Techno coming from the stereo that was on. Nolo frowned at him, then moved over to pull back the curtains in front of the balcony door. "Didn't I tell you to clean up this mess?" Nolo hissed as Shiori and Razina studied a grotesque little wooden skull. Shirako shrugged.

"Everything's where it's supposed to be."

"You keep your laptop on the floor?"

"Yeah. By the way, Shiori's about to step on it. Oh, I did tell you that you were going to pay for all damages they cause?"

Nolo had already rescued the computer from the floor and dumped it onto Shirako when he finished the sentence. "You live like a pig."

"On the contrary." Shirako drawled. "I live like a normal person does when no one like you is around to bug them."

Razina came over to Nolo. "I'm impressed." she said, slipping her hand into his. "This was cleaner than the last time I came."

Shirako frowned. "When did you ever come?"

Nolo smiled sheepishly. "It was when we were still just using this as a storing place."

"And a make out apartment." Shirako added. Razina raised an eyebrow. "Anyway," Nolo said quickly. "We only came to do homework."

Shirako snorted. "And you call me messy."

"You used this as a storage room?" Razina looked around their spacious surroundings. "Isn't it too luxurious for that? This is the most expensive apartment complex in town!"

Nolo shrugged. "It fits us. They have a good security system."

"Good?" Shirako said in disgust. "The doorman won't let me in half the time.""You live here, Shirako?" Shiori came up, holding something in her hand.

Shirako put the empty soda can on the coffee table. "So?"

"Do you have a room mate?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"What! I just-"

Nolo interrupted the beginning of what was no doubt going to evolve into a long and complicated argument. "I stay here sometimes, but otherwise he's the only one here."

"Oh." Shiori seemed to be thinking something over. Shirako glared at her suspiciously.

"What?"

"Well, then does this belong to one of you?" Shiori held up what she'd been holding-a brand new Barbie doll, still in its packaging. Razina raised an eyebrow, Nolo burst out laughing, and Shirako fell off the couch. "Where the hell did that come from?"


End file.
